Pastel holder



May 24, 1938.

M. G. PATTEN PASTEL. HOLDER Filed May 15. 1936 fiiw/ 110 10772 Patented May 24, 1938 PATENT OFFICE PASTEL HOLDER;

Merwin G. Patten, Cranston, R. L, assignor to The J. C. Hall Company, a corporation of Rhode Island Application May 1 5,,

8 Claims.

My present invention relates to holders for releasably gripping flat sheets, and has particular reference to holders for sheets of drawing paper used for making pastel pictures.

Holders for flat sheets have been of various types, but the manufacture of a holder having sufficient grip to hold a pastel sheet without slippage and without denting or otherwise affecting the sheet in any way has not heretofore been accomplished at a low cost.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a holder in which a sheet may be readily inserted and removed, and which exerts sufficient gripping pressure to lock the sheet against accidental and unintentional displacement.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a construction which is readily made of a small number of easily manufactured parts, whereby the holder may be produced at a low cost and sold at a reasonable price.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and more specifically defined in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the novel holder with a sheet inserted for use;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View, partly broken away, showing the procedure for inserting or removing a sheet;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective showing a modified clamping arrangement.

It has been found desirable to provide a holder for pastel sheets and other drawing sheets in which the sheet may be quickly inserted or removed, but will be held against accidental or unintentional slippage without indenting or otherwise afiecting the sheet itself. I have therefore provided a holder having a heavy base and a top of relatively resilient material, the top being provided with a cut out opening so that the sheet may be readily marked or drawn upon. The sheet is held in place'by a pinching action at one end of the holder; the top and the base are detachably secured at the other end of the holder by any suitable means to press the sides and the lower end of the top upon the sheet. I have devised a simple construction utilizing inexpensive parts which are readily assembled to- 1936, Serial No. 79,889

gether, the preferred constructional features being described hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing, the novel holder I0 comprises a base II, preferably made of heavy card board or the like, and a top I2 of relatively resilient material, a suitable material for-this purpose being a good grade of heavy card board, the top having a central recess I3. One edge of the top is locked to one edge of the base, as shown in Fig. 2, by means of staples I4, which as disclosed in Fig. 3 result in a pinching grip for a pastel sheet I5 inserted between the top and the base. Any other suitable form of locking may be used instead, as for example sewing, stitching or clamping, theessential feature of such locking residing in the obtaining of a strong pinching action for the upper end of the drawing sheet.

Clamping means are provided at the other end of the base I I, a preferred construction comprising spaced metal elements I6 having one portion I! locked to the base in any desired manner, as by rivets or locking prongs, and an upstanding tongue portion I8 which is bent over as indicated at I9 to provide retaining lips for receiving the. lower end of the top I2. The natural resilience of the top l2 permits bending and insertion of sheet I5 so as to permit the lower end to slip under the lips I9 for locking the top to the base. If desired, the metal retainer I6 may have its locking portion II positioned on the under side of the base, so as to permit a closer contact of the top and the base at the lower ends thereof.

Instead of using metal retainer elements such as indicated at I 6, any other form of retaining means which will hold the lower edge of the top in intimate contact with the lower end of the base may be used; thus, the locking means may comprise a pair of spaced catch buttons 20 secured to the base and cooperating locking recess buttons 2| secured to the top; or hinged, pivoted or swivelled lock members of any preferred type may be utilized.

The upper surface of the top I2 may be suitably ornamented in any desired manner, and may have a glazed surface to permit cleaning, or transparent cleanable material such as celluloid or the like may be mounted thereon. Lines or other marks for aiding the artist may 5 also be provided, as for example scales on one or both sides of the recess I3, or cross lines to assist in aligning the drawing.

Although I have described the base as preferably made of heavy card board in order to obtain a low cost of production, any material having the necessary rigidity may be used; the top may be made of any relatively resilient material, such as for example celluloid, phenol condensation products or the like, although a good grade of card board is preferred because of its low cost. Since the essential feature of the invention resides in the pinching of the drawing sheet or the like at the upper end, and the resilience of the material used for the top so as to additionally lock the sides and the lower end of the sheet, strips of flexible material such as thin steel strips may be inserted into the sides of the top, if found desirable.

The above described constructions will exert ample holding pressure on the inserted drawing sheet; it may be desirable to increase the holding effect, however, by using additional locking means, illustrative examples being cross strips of sheet rubber, such as latex sheets, or rough surfaces such as strips of sandpaper; in holders requiring exceptional locking against movement of the sheet spaced points or prongs may be secured to one part, for example the top, to project'towards the other part, the base; and to pass through the sheet so as to positively lock it in place when the lower end of the top is clamped to the lower end of the base.

The holder may be used for the releasable retention of any sheet of material, such as printed advertisements, photographs, and other similar articles which are periodically replaced.

A number of holders may be bound together in book form, to serve as a portfolio for holding separate sheets or drawings, thus permitting a collectionof drawings to be selectively changed.

While I have described specific constructional embodiments of my invention, it is obvious that desired changes in the material, in the manner of joining the top to the base, and in the type of top used, may be made to suit the requirements for different holders, without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a base, a top of resilient material having a central recess, means for looking one edge of the top to one edge of the base so as to engage a substantial area adjacent each end in intimate permanent contact, and means for detachably holding the opposite edges of the top and base in intimate separable contact.

2. In combination, a base, a top of resilient material having a central recess, means comprising stapling for locking one edge of the top to one edge of the base in intimate permanent contact, and means for detachably holding the opposite edges of the top and base in intimate separable contact.

3. In combination, a base, a top of resilient material having a central recess, means for looking one edge of the top to one edge of the base so as to engage a substantial area adjacent each end in intimate permanent contact, and means comprising clips having tongues adapted to have the opposite edge of the top inserted therein for detachably holding the opposite edges of the top and base in intimate separable contact.

4. In combination, a base, a top of resilient material having a central recess, means comprising stapling for locking one edge of the top to one edge of the base in intimate permanent contact, and means comprising clips having tongues adapted to have the opposite edge of the top inserted therein for detachably holding the opposite edges of the top and base in intimate separable contact.

5. In combination, a base of heavy card board, a top of relatively resilient card board having a central recess, means for locking one edge oi the top to one edge of the base so as to engage a substantial area adjacent each end in intimate permanent contact, and means for detachably holding the opposite edges of the top and base in intimate separable contact.

6. In combination, a base of heavy card board,

a top of relatively resilient card board having a central recess, means comprising stapling for locking one edge of the top to one edge of the base in intimate permanent contact, and means for detachably holding the opposite edges of the top and base in intimate separable contact.

'7. In combination, a base of heavy card board, a top of relatively resilient card board having a central recess, means for locking one edge of the top to one edge of the base so as to engage a substantial area adjacent each end in intimate permanent contact, and means comprising clips having tongues adapted to have the opposite edge of the top inserted therein for detachably holding the opposite edges of the top and base in intimate separable contact.

8. In combination, a base of heavy card board, a top of relatively resilient card board having a central recess, means comprising stapling for locking one edge of the top to one edge of the base in intimate permanent contact, and means comprising clips having tongues adapted to have the opposite edge of the top inserted therein for detachably holding the opposite edges of the top and base in intimate separable contact.

MERWIN G. PATTEN. 

